Improvement in pneumatic dredging-tubes



W. P.LEWIS. PNEUMATIC BREWING-TUBES.

No. 195,293. Patented sagmal-877.

WITNESSES: INVENTBB N. PETERS. PHOTD-LTHOGRAPMER, WASHINGTON, n C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICEo WILLIAM P. LEWIS, OF OROVILLE, CALIFORNIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN PNEUMATIC DREDGlNG-TUBES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 195,293, datedSeptember 18,1877 application led June 11, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM P. LEWIS, of0rovil1e, in the county of Butteand State of California, have invented a new and Improved PneumaticDredging-Tube, of which the following is a specification:

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l represents a vertical centralsection of my improved pneumatic dredging-tube, and Fig. 2 a bottom viewof the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corre spending parts.

The invention relates to an improved pneuf matic tube for dredging,mining, and wrecking purposes, the tube being worked by creating avacuum and drawing the sand, earth, or other matter into the same; andit consists of a tube lowered by guys or other devices to the bottom ofthe river or sea, and provided with a hinged inclined bottom valve,locked by a sliding key or bolt, for creating the vacuum by an air-pump,and having a hinged side discharge-valve.

In the drawings, A represents a tube of suitable size, which isconnected, by a rubber or other tube at the top, with an air-pump on thevessel or float from which the tube is lowered to the river or otherbody of Water.

The lower end of the tube A is provided y with a hinged inclined valve,B, that is fitted by rubber packing, hermetically, to a seat, a, andlocked rigidly, when the tube has been lowered to the bottom, by asliding bolt or key, C, which is guided in a 'stufng-box'and operated bya lever, C'.

A discharge-door, D, is hinged to the side of tube A near the bottomvalve, which is inclined toward the discharge-door. The door D is alsolined with rubber packing, and locked by a latch until opened fordischarging the sand. A spring, b, at the inside of the tube A, abovethe side door D, serves to cushion the bottom valve when the same isopened for drawing in the sand or earth.

After the tube A has been lowered and placed into position on the bottomof the river, the bottom valve being closed, and the air pumped out bythe air-pump until a vacuum is created, the key C is then withdrawn bythe lever C', and the sand or earth drawn into the tube until the sameis nearly filled. The tubeis then raised, and the contents discharged byopening the side door, the inclination of the bottom valve facilitatingthe discharge. The tube is then lowered again, pumped out, and chargediu the same manner, forming an effective and powerful pneumaticapparatusfor dredging and other purposes.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- A pneumatic tube for dredging, mining, and otherpurposes, consisting of a main tube, A, connected to air-pump, andhaving inclined bottom valve B, with sliding lock-key and hinged sidedischarge D, the lock-key being withdrawn after the vacuum is created,to fill the tube by drawing in the sand or other matter, substantiallyin the manner and for the purpose set forth.

WILLIAM PERRY LEWIS.

Witnesses:

A. MAURICE, Jr., JOHN J. SMITH.

